Many researchers have indicated that sex, appearance, and behavior in court affect juvenile dispositions. Empirical studies on the relationships between extralegal factors and treatment of juvenile offenders by police and courts have been inconclusive and contradictory. This project selected running away because it was the most frequently indicated status offense coming before the court, and then systematically observed the dispositional hearings of 50 boys over a 3-month period. A checklist was designed that contained the following independent variables: sex of offender, race, appearance, demeanor, dress, and walk. The juvenile court disposition of the runaway's case was the dependent variable and was divided into two categories: most severe disposition, which was commitment to the Department of Children and Family Services, and the least severe disposition, supervision. All cases were heard by the same white male judge. Of the 50 runaways, 58 percent were black, 36 percent were white, and 6 percent were latin. Analysis of the observations indicated that none of the variables had any impact on the judge's decision. In contrast to other studies, white runaway boys were more harshly handled by the court than nonwhites. Future research should continue to use courtroom observations rather than rely on court records and apply this method to every stage of the juvenile justice process. Tables and 36 footnotes are provided.